Germany Filed Nov. 30, 1%0, Ser. No. 72,739 14 Claims. (Cl. 11850) The present invention relates to an improvement in continuous wet finishing of continuous fibers, webs, and other synthetic-fiber or synthetic-resin material, and more particulartly to improved apparatus for effecting this finishing.

Wet-finishing processes include, for example, the impregnation of webs by undissolved chemical products or by chemical products in Watery solution as well as the finishing by acid, neutralization, oxidation, washing, etc.

Modern machines for continuous treatment consist, for the most part, of one or a plurality of deep troughs with two sets of cylinders lying above each other for the guidance of the web. One of these sets is usually located in the trough, in the fluid. At the delivery end of the machine, there often is a squeezing device. Thesemachines have various disadvantages.

A first disadvantage is that large quantities of mixtures are consumed. The alternate passage through the fluid and through air is not advantageous when certain methods are used. Furthermore, there are difficulties with feeding of the web, especially through the cylinders at the bottom of the deep trough. This difficulty is especially great where machines having an especially narrow run or with labyrinth passages are concerned. The difliculties also arise at refeeding of the web through the mixtures, in the case of loosening of a suture, or if the web ruptures. Moreover, the adjustment of the tension of the run is diflicult.

The present invention eliminates the difficulties mentioned and has the advantage that the passage of goods takes place inside columns of liquid or of gas, above a fluid level.

According to the invention, a device for a wet-finishing process for continuous sheet or extruded goods is proposed in which, above a trough that carries the pulling, guiding, and treating elements for the cloth layer, one or several hoods, covering these elements, are arranged. The open bottom sides of these hoods are immersed in the treating fluid. The hoods are arranged so that they can be easily shifted and removed. This design permits the use of small quantities of gaseous or fluid mixtures. The pull of the material to be treated is adjusted by the pulling elements. This includes movable guide rollers, which float in the fluid and the weight of which differs from the volume weight of the displaced fluid, in which they are immersed completely or partially. The guiding elements for the cloth layer may consist of a single guide roller, but also of several rollers to obtain a long pas sage. The goods can be guided over these rollers by the spreading method, that is, as a continuous sheet, or by the rope method.

The trough can be divided by partitions into compartments of variable heights of the levels of the treating fluid. It is expedient if the level of the fluid in the rear compartments of the trough-as seen in the direction of the travel of the cloth layer-is higher than in the front compartments and the treating fluid successively flows through the various compartments in the direction opposite to the travelling direction of the cloth layer. To hold the fluid level constant in the various compartments overflow pipes may be arranged in them.

It is beneficial if the hoods that are arranged above the trough are made of transparent material, which perlCG mits the goods to remain visible throughout the entire process of treatment. Of course, metal can also be used for the construction of the hoods. Then it is advantageous to arrange windows in the hoods for observation of the goods. For minimizing the loss of heat in the hoods, insulation may be used. The insulation may embrace the entire hoods or only single parts.

To obtain a treatment of goods as intensive as possible, the space under the hoods should be filled, completely or partially, with the treating fluid. Then the goods are held under the mixture during the whole passage through the device according to the invention. Instead of the treating fluid, however, the space under the hoods may also be filled with treating medium in vaporous or gaseous form. The temperature of the gaseous solvent inside of the hoods may, then, differ from that of the treating fluid. It is possible to provide for a heater for heating the treating fluid or the vaporous or gaseous treating medium. The height of the fluid level in the hood, as well as the filling of the gaseous or vaporous treating medium may be altered as desired and vary according to the conditions in the factory.

If there is vapor gas in the interior space of the hoods, then it is expedient to arrange insulated partitions, with openings for the passage of the cloth layer, between the treating fluid in the trough and the interior space of the hoods that is filled with vapor or gas. These insulated partitions prevent a temperature exchange between the two media.

It is advantageous to provide each hood with a feed pipe for vapor or gases. and the treating fluid, as well as with a drain pipe and a relief cock. The feed pipes for vapor or gases and the treating fluid are insulated. The filling and emptying of the hoods is effected as follows: for instance, in the case of filling with treating fluid, fluid is led under the hood by the corresponding devices.

feed pipe, and the emptying of air from the hood is effected through the relief cock. In the case of filling with vapor or gas as treating media, the procedure is carried out accordingly. If the fluid level under the hood is to be raised, the vapor, the gas or the air, which are under the hood, are sucked out through the drain pipe.

To be removed easily, the hoods hang on ropes or chains passing over rolls with counterweights. After the removal of the hoods, the pulling, guiding, and treating elements are easily accessible at all points, so that the introduction of the cloth layer does not cause any difliculties.

For special treatment it is possible to arrange vibration elements inside the hoods as treating elements for the cloth layer.

Additional details of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal section through a machine according to the invention having four columns;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the same machine; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a detail of the machine.

The apparatus contains a trough 1 of low height, made, for example, of stainless steel or of plastic, in which there is a watery solution of pure water. The trough 1 can be subdivided by cross partitions 2 and 2', and the liquid levels between the partitions can have different heights 3 and 3. For heating there are heating elements 4 on the bottom of the trough 1. -In the trough, a row of cylinders 5 are arranged, which can be driven, separately or jointly, by variable speed electric motors 6. The power transmission is effected by gears 7 and 7' or by other Instead of individual drives, other devices that drive all cylinders simultaneously can be used. Because of the low height of the liquid level in the trough, the cylinders 5 lie close to the surface of the liquid. Because of this, they can be put into operation in a simple manner, without the need of leading the drive journals of the cylinders through the wall of the trough by means of sealed shaft collars; and moreover, they are easily accesible. The overflow pipes 8 and 8' regulate the liquid level in the trough.

An essential part of the machine are special devices, by which the goods to be treated 9 are subjected to the effect of the mixtures or of several liquid or gaseous solutions during their entire passage. For this purpose, one or several columns with liquid or gaseous solutions are provided for as hoods 11B, 11, 12, 13, the bottom sides of which are immersed in the mixture below levels 3 and 3'.

These hoods can be easily lifted off by sprockets or pulleys 14, over which chains or ropes 15 run, which are connected with the hoods and at the free ends of which there are counterweights 16 which keep the hoods balanced. The hoods may consist of transparent plastic or of metal. If the former is the case, the walls must be strong enough to protect the hot treating medium against quick loss of heat. If the latter is the case, they may be insulated and provided with windows for observation, through which the run of material in the interior of the hoods can be checked.

In the interior of the hoods 10, 11, 12, 13, a number of material guiding and treating elements are set up, the shapes and arrangements of which can be different in the different hoods.

Thus, the hood 19 contains guide rollers 17, 17', and 18, over which the material can be led back and forth continuously. A cross partition 19 separates the air space of the hood from the liquid level 3.

Openings 20 or transition slots, which are sealed by soft seals of plastic, see FIG. 3, make the passage of the material to be treated possible.

The cylinders 17, 17', 18 and the cross partition 19 are held by struts 21, which are fastened to the trough 1. If the hood is lifted, the parts in the interior of the hood are laid open. This makes them easily accessible by which the introduction of the product is made easier. Main pipes 22, 23, 24 are connected with the interior of the hood by pipes 25. These pipes immerse in the mixture of the trough 1 and extend to the upper part of the hood.

The pipe 22, for instance, provides the interior of the hood with steam. The pipe 23 can suck the gas or the steam out of the hood, which fact makes it possible for the liquid to fill the hood completely or partially. The plipe 24 serves to feed a liquid into the interior of the If the hood is to be emptied, the valve 26 must be opened whereby the interior of the hood is open to the outer air.

The inner equipment of the hood 11 contains an upper movable guide roll 27, which is held by lateral bearings 28 and which lies above a container 29, which serves, for instance, the purpose of receiving steam heating elements.

The hood 11 likewise contains a horizontal partition 19 as well as a partition 2. Thus, liquid in this part of the container is limited, on the one hand, by trough 1 and on the other hand, by partition 2; the liquid level may thus differ from that of the other part of the container.

If the hood 11 is filled far enough and the partition or the container 29 submerges in the liquid the connection between both liquid levels can be established. For this purpose, the valve 26 must be closed and the valve 30 must be opened. The gaseous medium in the hood is thus sucked out and the treating fluid fills out the space. Also the valve 31, which controls the entrance of the liquid led through pipe 24, could be opened.

Another arrangement is seen in the interior of the hood 12. It contains a fixed cylinder 32, which runs on bearings above the container 33. This container is pulled down to the cross partition 2.

FIG. 1 shows the difference of the liquid levels 3 and 3' in front and behind the partition 2. The supplying of the trough 1 with liquid is effected according to the so called counter-stream principle, that is, the new liquid flows in at the rear end of the trough, as seen in the direction of the travel of the goods. In consequence, the liquid level in the rear 3 is higher than that in the front 3'.

In the interior of the hood 12 there is a tendency for compensation in the material-passage space, by which it is filled with liquid. By lifting effect the liquid level 3 rises over the wall 33 and overflows into the front part of the trough 1.

If the treatment requires it, in this manner, columns of liquid can be created over the entire run of goods.

In the hood 13 another possibility of design is shown. It contains the cylinders 35, 36, 37, and 38, which guarantee an extended run of goods in the smallest space. A partition 39 reaching down to the bottom of the trough 1 permits through suction the circulation of the fluid from one side of this partition to the other.

If needed, the column of liquid can be replaced by a column of gas.

After discharge from the last hood the material is led to a spreader 4t) and then to the squeeze rolls 41.

Squeeze rolls may also be arranged at the delivery end of each hood; likewise, squeezing can take place in the mixture.

The apparatus described and shown in the drawings can, of course, be modified in details of construction without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as for example, the hoods or individual parts can be made to vibrate in order to intensify the effect of treatment.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for a wet finishing process for continuous sheets of materials comprising a treatment liquid carrying trough, a plurality of rotatably mounted material pulling cylinders immersed in the liquid in said trough for successively pulling a continuous sheet of material through the trough, a plurality of material guiding and treating elements around which the material passes during treatment, said elements being positioned above said pulling cylinders, hoods having open bottom sides immersed in the treatment liquid in the trough and means suspending said hoods so that they can be easily adjusted and removed, said hoods enclosing said guiding and treating elements in a plurality of successive runs of the material being treated, and a cross partition disposed in sealing relation across at least one of said hoods proximate the open bottom side thereof, said cross partition having transition slots therein permitting passage of the sheet of material therethrough, said cross partition closing the hood and providing a separate treating zone therewithin.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, a plurality of partitions dividing said trough into compartments and providing different heights of the level of the treating liquid in various ones of said compartments.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including means for passing the treating fluid through the various compartments of the trough in the direction opposite to the travel of the cloth layer.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein overflow pipes are arranged in the various compartments of the trough.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pulling cylinders are arranged directly under the surfaces of the liquid in the trough.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, said hoods being of transparent material.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, said hoods being metal and having windows therein.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the hoods is provided with a feed pipe for gases and for 5 the treating fluid as well as with a discharge pipe and a relief cock.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hoods are connected to ropes having counter weights and passing over rolls.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means for introducing and maintaining a treating fluid in the spaces enclosed by said hoods.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cross partition transition slots include a sealing means for en- 10 gagement with the continuous sheets.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said 15 6 hoods and cross partitions are of an insulated construction.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means for introducing and maintaining a combinatipn of a treating liquid and the vapor of the liquid in the spaces enclosed by said hoods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,596,671 Lionne Aug. 17, 1926 2,065,636 Whipple Dec. 29, 1936 2,083,731 Miller June 15, 1937 2,374,535 Gibson Apr. 24, 1945 2,451,890 Ufnowski Oct. 19, 1948 2,542,064 Tilden Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3,128,206 April 7, 1964 Julien Dungler It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below Column 2, line 23, after "vapor" insert or column 2, line 64, for "of" read or same Signed and sealed this 4th day of August 1964,,